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'Willesden' is an area in North West London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent. It is situated 5 miles (8 km) north west of Charing Cross.
| Contents |
| History |
| Etymology |
| Origins |
| Modern Willesden |
| Politics |
| Willesden in popular culture |
| Transport and locale |
| Nearest places |
| Willesden bus routes |
| Nearest tube stations |
| Infrastructure facilities |
| References |
History
Etymology
The name derives from ''Willesdune'', meaning The Hill of the Spring, and a settlement bearing this name dates back to 939 AD. The town's motto is ''Laborare est orare''.
Willesden Green Old Library Building
Origins
From the 14th to 16th centuries, the town was a place of pilgrimage due to the presence of two ancient statues of the Virgin Mary at the Church of St Mary. One of these statues is thought to be a Black Madonna, which was wantonly insulted by the Lollards and burnt in 1538.
Modern Willesden
The parish of Willesden remained predominantly rural up until 1875, when its population was 18,500. However, this changed with the opening of the Metropolitan Railway (later the Metropolitan Line) station of Willesden Green on November 24, 1879. By 1906 the population had grown to 140,000, a phenomenon of rapid growth that was to be repeated in the 1920s in neighbouring areas such as Harrow. The Metropolitan Line service was withdrawn in 1940, when the station was served by the Bakerloo Line, and later the Jubilee Line.
Willesden French Market
To the present day, Willesden has been shaped by the patterns of migration which marks it out as one of the most diverse areas in the United Kingdom. Corporation of London records show that the first black person recorded in Brent was Sarah Eco, who was christened in St. Mary’s church in Willesden on September 15, 1723. The 1901 census recorded that 42% of the population was born in London (Willesden only became a municipal borough in 1933). It is at this time that the area became predominantly working-class. A small Irish community had formed in Willesden by this time, which grew rapidly during the period of the Second World War. A small Jewish Community of refugees from Europe also formed during the war, with 3.5% of the population in 1951 born in Germany, Poland, Russia or Austria.
The period from 1960 saw migrants settling from the Caribbean and the Indian Subcontinent. Since the 1960s, Willesden has been popular with young working holidaymakers from Australia and New Zealand, although this popularity has declined a little in favour of other areas since about 2003.
Willesden is in between Harlesden, Stonebridge Park and the Kilburn area. It is mostly in the region of NW10 but stretches to NW2. The border of Harlesden and Willesden is Donnington Road/Harlesden Road.
In 1965 Willesden Borough was merged into the newly formed London Borough of Brent.
Politics
The ward is represented on Brent Council by two Liberal Democrat councillors, Mohammed Anwar and Gavin Sneddon, and one Labour councillor, Lesley Jones.
Willesden forms part of the Brent East parliamentary constituency and is home to the local MP, Liberal Democrat Sarah Teather.
Willesden in popular culture
The town was featured in the popular novel ''White Teeth'' by Zadie Smith in 2000 which was subsequently made into a TV series. Moreover, Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros sang from 'Willesden to Cricklewood' on their album ''Rock Art and the X-ray Style''.
Zadie Smith's younger brother, Ben Smith, is an underground British rapper who goes by the name Doc Brown. He features on the track "Think Back" from the album ''The Enthusiast'' produced by the British dj Evil Ed. He raps "Born and bred in Kilburn" but also says "Veteran Willesden tenant. Brent the borough of residence"
Willesden Green is a running reference/joke on the animated TV cartoon series ''DangerMouse''.
Peter Davison, best known as Doctor Who, stars in ''The Last Detective'' (from 2002) which is filmed and set in and around Willesden.
The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band make a short reference to Willesden Green on their track "Shirt", the second track of their 1969 album ''Tadpoles''. quote: "Now, here in Willesden Green, yes, brrr, it is a bit chilly but no matter. Here comes a gentleman and we're going to talk to him about shirts"
Transport and locale
Nearest places
★ Harlesden
★ Neasden
★ Kensal Green
★ Cricklewood
★ Kilburn
Willesden bus routes
Nearest tube stations
★ Dollis Hill
★ Willesden Green tube station
★ Neasden tube station
Infrastructure facilities
★ In Willesden was a static inverter plant of HVDC Kingsnorth.
References
★ Willesden: Settlement and Growth
★ A Short History of Brent
★ www.willesdentown.com
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